Howling Abomination
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: After a dangerous encounter with a black wolf, Cloud starts to feel strange changes come over himself, all while dealing with the hyperactive Zack trying to befriend him and become possibly closer than that, it seems. Cloud's thoughts on that? "Not interested..." Clack, Yaoi, Lemons, Mpreg, A/U.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, okay, I couldn't resist! After some reading and just loving how excitable Zack is, I HAD to write a Clack fic! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Howling Abomination

Chapter 1

A lone blonde man with spiked locks was trekking along the path through the forest, making his way to Midgar. He was on his way there to visit and possibly stay with his old friend, Tifa Lockhart, and to take a break from hunting beasts for a while. He'd been working long enough that he'd amounted a pretty decent amount of gil to last him a good break, and possibly even a splurge or two on something. He was uncertain as to what exactly, but it might come to him with time.

As he walked along the moonlit path, he soon began to feel a presence following him, one that certainly wasn't human. Rolling his eyes in slight annoyance, the man feigned ignorance, but kept his guard up. After all, he couldn't tell for certain what the presence was. More than likely a hungry beast looking for easy prey, though. Which he definitely wasn't. The man continued his same pace and stride, and to anyone watching, it was as though he clearly couldn't detect the large black shadow following him from the forest's depths.

Suddenly, the shadow lunged silently, not making a sound as it went to strike. However, the blonde man swiftly reached back for his large sword, strapped to his back for security, and spun around, lashing out at the shadow, but then it was gone without a trace. Frowning darkly with a little huff, the hunter kept his blue gaze on the path leading away from Midgar for only a few seconds, but those few seconds was all the shadow needed, as out of nowhere, the blonde was pounced on by a large, furry beast, right before he felt excruciating pain on his left, at the junction where his neck met his collarbone.

The man gave a pained shout, knowing he'd been bitten, and pretty hard at that, and then the beast licked at the wound, but kept him pinned where he was. As the blonde gasped for breath from the pain, he soon realized the pain was fading, thanks to the beast's licking at the wound it had inflicted. He then gave a snarl, before managing to throw the beast off and look at it properly.

A large black wolf got to its paws, shaking the dirt from its pelt from being thrown, before looking at him, almost seeming to smirk at him with a knowing look…and then it dashed off into the forest's depths with a victorious-sounding howl.

The blonde hunter frowned at the beast's curious behavior, before he sighed and grabbed his buster sword, situating it back in place on his back before he continued on his way to Midgar.

' _Cloud Strife, what have you gotten yourself into this time…?_ ' he thought to himself as he shook his head slightly. ' _Hopefully it doesn't get infected…_ ' was the next thought, his hand instinctually moving to place itself on the bite mark. He nearly winced, but found it wasn't as tender as he'd initially thought. ' _Whatever… Damn beast…_ '

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Finally, Cloud arrived in Midgar by dawn, but he didn't linger anywhere in particular, instead heading to his destination: Seventh Heaven Bar, where Tifa was. When he arrived, he opened the door, loudly rapping his knuckles on the doorframe when he saw she wasn't paying attention, instead focused on restocking the bar. The effect was immediate; Tifa jumped with a yelp, before whirling around in alarm and looking to see Cloud standing there. When it registered who was in the doorway, she smiled brightly before hurrying over to him and hugging him in a friendly manner.

"Cloud!" she greeted. "How are you? I haven't seen you in ages, it feels like!"

"Been pretty good," the blonde shrugged, hugging her back lightly. "I'm taking a break from hunting for a while, and figured I could stay in Midgar with a good friend…if you have the space, anyway…"

"I always have space for you, Cloud," Tifa giggled, stepping back, and then she saw his bloodied shirt and the wound on his collarbone. "What happened?!"

"…Got attacked by a damn wolf on the way here," Cloud admitted. "It healed the wound by licking it before taking off, though…"

"Weird…" the brunette muttered. "Well, make sure to keep an eye on it, just in case, okay? Don't want something to happen to you."

"Will do," the hunter nodded. "Mind if I change out of this shirt, at least? The dried blood's kinda scratching…"

"Oh, of course! The guest room is upstairs and the last door on the right," Tifa informed him, stepping aside. "I'll get you something to drink, and then we'll catch up."

"Sounds good," Cloud agreed, before heading upstairs to the guest room Tifa had told him of. Once inside, he set his travel bag and Buster Sword off to the side before peeling off his torn-up shirt and throwing it into the trash. No mending that one…

He then headed to the bathroom in the bedroom once he'd dug out another shirt, this one still clean. Once in the bathroom, he managed to find a washcloth, lathering it up with soap and water and washing the dried blood from around the bite wound. After rinsing it off and drying it, the blonde pulled on the clean shirt, and then headed downstairs. Upon reaching the ground floor, though, he was surprised when an unfamiliar voice greeted him.

"Hey, a new face, eh?" the voice called, a grin obvious in the tone. Cloud looked over with a quirked brow already, and saw a raven-haired man with spiked locks sitting in one of the booths, his blue eyes watching the blonde as a grin kept itself firmly in place on his face.

"…"

"What, not the talkative type, aren't ya?" the raven chuckled.

"Zack, leave him alone. Cloud's just gotten here," Tifa scolded, coming back out from the back room.

"Oooh, so his name's Cloud, huh?" Zack smirked almost wolfishly, before getting up from his booth and going up to Cloud, holding out a hand for the blonde to shake. "Nice to meet you, Cloud. Name's Zack, as you've gathered."

Cloud eyed Zack's hand for a couple seconds, before rolling his eyes and accepting the offered hand, shaking it firmly.

"Mind letting us catch up, Zack? I haven't seen Cloud in a few years," Tifa said, making the raven pout.

"But I'd like to get to know him, Tifa!" he whined. "C'mon, lemme stay!" As he spoke, he gave her his best puppy-dog eyes.

"…Ugh, fine, but you're ridiculous. You act like a puppy, Zack," the brunette sighed. "Just don't interrupt."

"I'll be quiet!" Zack grinned, before going back to the booth he'd been in and sat down.

"How's that bite wound, by the way?" Tifa asked in concern as she led Cloud to another booth, which Cloud noticed had Zack perking up in interest.

"It's fine, Tifa, don't worry," Cloud assured her. "Just had to throw out the shirt I was wearing, since I'm not gonna try and mend it."

"Well, I'll have to take you to the tailor's sometime soon, then, and get you another shirt," Tifa shrugged, laughing at the hunter's stunned look. "Don't sweat it, Cloud!"

"If you're sure…"

"I am. So, go ahead, tell me about some of your hunts! I'm sure some are worth sharing," the woman smiled as she and Cloud sat down, and she handed him a drink.

"Some, but not too many. It's usually the behemoths that make for an interesting story, to be honest…" the blonde shrugged.

"Then share away," Tifa giggled, making Cloud smile faintly, and then he began to share. As he spoke, he could feel Zack's gaze on him, highly interested, but he ignored the raven in favor of talking with Tifa. When he finished sharing some of his behemoth stories, he looked at Tifa.

"So, how about you? It's been a while since I visited. What's been going on with you?" he asked.

"Eh, not much. Same old, same old," she shrugged. "It's been business as usual, even with Zack goofing around here."

"Hey!" the raven squawked, indignant. "I'm not goofing off, I'm having fun!"

"By goofing off."

"…You're mean."

"And yet you still come around here."

"Because the atmosphere is always inviting! Who _wouldn't_ want to come here?" Zack pointed out, before grinning. "'Sides, I got to meet Cloud today because I stopped by!" Cloud snorted incredulously at the comment, making Zack grin at him. "C'mon, man! Lighten up!"

"Cloud's a serious guy, Zack. Try not to piss him off," Tifa warned, before getting up from the booth. "Well, I'd best get back to stocking up for tonight. You two play nice, you hear?"

"No trouble here!" Zack chuckled, while Cloud merely nodded with a small hum, rolling his eyes slightly.

"No eye-rolling here, buster," Tifa scolded, cuffing the blonde over the head and making him grunt. "I'll be around if you need me." Once she was gone, Zack took over Tifa's spot, smiling at Cloud.

"So…what happened?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"That bite wound Tifa mentioned. What happened?"

"…Got bit by a damn wolf…"

"Huh. How long ago did it happen?"

"…Last night, on my way here."

Zack hummed softly at that. "Well, at least you're okay."

"I just hope that beast's licking doesn't get this thing infected…"

"I highly doubt that," the raven replied. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"…If you say so…" Cloud mumbled, quirking a blonde brow at Zack's confidence in regards to his bite mark.

"I do say so. So, you been to Midgar before, then, huh?" Zack guessed.

"No, actually. I know Tifa from Nibelheim," Cloud shrugged.

"Then I get the honor of showing you around," the taller male smirked, puffing his chest a little.

"…Not interested," the hunter snorted, looking away.

"Aww, come on, live a little!" Zack grinned. "After all, we wouldn't want you getting lost, right?"

"'We'…?"

"Tifa and me."

"Guess not…"

"Then it's settled," the taller man declared, before climbing out of the booth. "Come on, I'll show ya around town!" He then grabbed Cloud's arm and tugged him out of the booth, drawing a startled noise from the blonde as he was dragged out of his seat and the bar. "We'll be back, Tifa! Gonna show Spike here around town!"

"Just don't go starting trouble, Zack!" Tifa yelled as they left. Zack blew a raspberry in her general direction as the door closed, before laughing.

"She's such a mom," he chuckled, leading Cloud along the paved road.

"…She's still single, isn't she?" the hunter guessed with a snort.

"Yeah, why?"

"I figured. Her work at the bar is her life, I can tell. She was always more of a busybody than a family woman," Cloud shrugged. "We've been friends since we were kids in Nibelheim."

"Makes sense why she turns down every date she's been offered," the raven commented, folding his hands behind his head. "Anyhoo, I'll take ya by Aerith's place first. She'll be happy to meet a new face."

"And Aerith is…?"

"An herbalist. She makes herbal remedies and medicines for people here in town. She's also super nice."

"Seems like it. I'd be pretty surprised by a malicious healer."

"Yeah, kind of an oxymoron, huh?" Zack agreed with a laugh. They soon reached a shop that bore a blue rose on the sign, drawing a quiet, curious hum from Cloud, but he shook his head when Zack looked back at him in silent question. Shrugging, the taller male opened the door, making a bell above the door jingle to signal their arrival. A brunette woman looked up curiously at the sound, before she smiled warmly, her emerald green eyes kind and gentle.

"Well hello, Zack," she greeted, before she took notice of Cloud standing behind him. "And who's your friend…?"

"Oh, this is Cloud. He's a friend of Tifa's, and I'm showing him around town," the raven explained, before looking back at Cloud. "Cloud, this is Aerith, Midgar's best herbalist and healer."

"Now, now, Zack, I'm good, but I'm certain I'm not the best," Aerith chided with a small smile, and then she turned her gaze to Cloud. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cloud. If you ever need any healing or potions, let me know."

"Thank you, ma'am," Cloud told her politely, before she laughed.

"No need to be so formal, Cloud. Just call me Aerith," she giggled. Cloud nodded in acknowledgement, smiling faintly.

"So, anything interesting this time while out hunting herbs, Aerith?" Zack asked.

"No, but I _did_ see some tracks leading from the mountains in a path to Midgar…" Aerith admitted. "And they were behemoth tracks."

"Same one, huh? Sounds like your kind of deal, huh Cloud?" the raven guessed, looking at the hunter.

"Huh?" the brunette frowned in concern.

"I'm a hunter, and I've dealt with behemoths before," Cloud answered, shrugging one shoulder. "I was sharing some of my behemoth hunting stories with Tifa earlier with Zack here listening in."

"You make it sound like I was sneaking around!" Zack pouted.

"True, you weren't," Cloud snorted with a faint smirk. "Where did you see the tracks, Aerith?"

"Near the entrance into town, on the way to the mountains," the brunette replied, before she dug through a drawer. "Before you go, take these." She then gave him a couple of potions. "I'd rather you not get hurt at all, but behemoths are dangerous."

"I'll be fine, but thank you," the blonde murmured, accepting the potions. "How much are—"

"They're no charge this time. You'll be doing Midgar a favor, so just take them," Aerith assured him with a kind smile. "Just be careful, or I'll be seeing you again far too soon."

"I will," Cloud nodded, before beginning to leave. Zack yelped a little but was quick to follow, waving to Aerith as they left. "Just need to get my sword from Tifa's," the hunter mumbled as they made their way back to Seventh Heaven.

"You want some help there with killing it, Spike?" Zack asked.

"Nah. I'm more than capable of killing a behemoth," Cloud snorted.

"I dunno, man… This one's been pretty evasive. If it's the same one I'm thinking of, it's killed other hunters before in their attempts to kill _it_."

"…Only if you insist…"

"I do. My place is on the outskirts of town, so I'll go get my sword and meet you outside the entrance."

"Whatever…"

With that, Zack nodded, before he took off in another direction, more than likely to get his own sword. With a soft snort, Cloud resumed his way back to Seventh Heaven, where Tifa look up upon his return.

"You're back early," she commented, clearly confused. "Everything okay?"

"Gonna take care of your behemoth problem," the blonde replied.

"…! Cloud… You don't need to," the brunette frowned. "That thing is really nasty."

"Zack said the same thing, but I'll be fine."

"Okay… Just…please be careful, okay?"

"Will do," the hunter nodded, heading upstairs and retrieving his Buster Sword. Once it was strapped in place on his back and he was downstairs again, he nodded to Tifa reassuringly. "I'll be back," he called over his shoulder as he left. He didn't hear if Tifa replied before the door closed, but he knew this wouldn't take too long.

When he reached the entrance to Midgar, he spotted Zack waiting for him, and the raven had his own Buster Sword strapped to his back. This caused Cloud's eyes to widen marginally, as he hadn't known anyone else to wield one. Until now.

"Nice, a Buster Sword, too, eh? Well, we'd best get moving, or else we'll lose it in the mountains," the raven said casually. The hunter hummed quietly in response, before following after Zack, letting the taller male take the lead. After all, he didn't know where Aerith hunted for herbs, and Zack did, so…it made sense to let him take the lead. For now.

When they came across the tracks near the herb garden, Cloud frowned darkly, seeing how deep the claw marks in the tracks were. This wasn't an ordinary behemoth, based upon that alone. This thing was big, powerful, and vicious, even more so than the ordinary behemoth standards.

Noticing the frown, Zack nodded. "That's why I came with," he said. Cloud nodded quietly, before taking the lead and following the tracks. This thing was a danger to Midgar's people, and he needed to make sure they stayed safe, which definitely meant killing this crazed behemoth.

It took the pair a couple of hours before they found anything more, and that was the behemoth itself. And they didn't even find it; _it_ found _them_. A large roar from too close by sounded, and Cloud whipped out his Buster Sword, whirling around to face the behemoth dead on as it charged at them in the large clearing they were in.

"Shit, the thing's huge…!" Zack growled, his own Buster Sword out as the raven took on an offensive stance. Cloud really couldn't argue with him there; it was the biggest behemoth he'd seen yet during his time as a hunter. Instead of replying, though, he waited until the behemoth charged again, lunging at them with a furious snarl. As soon as it did, he raced at it, slashing his sword into its thick hide along its underside, barely managing to get out of harm's way as the behemoth roared in fury and pain, slashing at him with its razor-sharp claws.

"Look out!" Zack shouted suddenly, before he dove forward and blocked the behemoth's tail from slamming into the blonde, and then knocking it back with a snarl. His eyes flashed briefly with something Cloud couldn't decipher, before the pair began to attack the behemoth together. With their combined strength and attacks, the monstrous behemoth didn't stand a chance, and soon enough, it collapsed to the ground, dead from the multitude of slashes that had basically torn it apart.

Cloud wiped his forehead of the forming sweat on his skin, before looking at Zack. The raven was glaring at the dead behemoth, looking pretty pissed off. He soon closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths as if to calm himself, before looking at Cloud with a grin.

"Not bad, Cloud! You're better than I thought you were!" he teased. The remark had Cloud rolling his eyes with a snort. "Come on, I was only teasing!"

"…"

At the lack of reply, Zack pouted. "You're no fun."

"Your point being…?"

"A little fun in life is good," the raven pointed out.

"…Not interested…" the blonde mumbled.

"…You seemed to be having fun while fighting the behemoth," Zack smirked after a moment, making Cloud grumble with a faint pink tint to his cheeks.

"What's not to like about killing the bastards?" he muttered. "They're dangerous to everyone… So they need to be taken out."

"Fair enough," the raven conceded, and then he put his sword back in place on his back. "Welp, let's go report back to Aerith."

"Right," Cloud nodded softly, putting his own sword in place on his back, and then the pair headed back to Midgar. By the time they returned, the sun had set beyond the horizon, making Zack look up at the sky with a small frown.

"Hey, Cloud, go on ahead without me. I need to head home, but I'll see you tomorrow, right?" he said suddenly, making the hunter look back at him with a quirked brow and small frown.

"…Sure. I'm staying at Seventh Heaven while here, after all," the blonde shrugged. With a pleased grin, Zack gave Cloud a two-fingered salute, before heading off again. ' _Weird…_ ' Cloud thought to himself as he watched for a moment, and then he resumed his trek to Aerith's shop.

Upon arrival, the brunette looked up quickly, before her expression changed to one of immense relief. "Cloud, you're okay!" she breathed.

"It wasn't too bad…" Cloud mumbled, rubbing the back of his head a little awkwardly and ruffling his spiked locks in the process.

"Still, we all know behemoths are dangerous in general, and that one was the worst I'd ever seen," Aerith insisted. "I take it Zack assisted?"

"He was persistent in helping me, but I'll be honest, it would have been a bit more challenging and taken longer without his help," the blonde confessed.

"He's a good man. As are you," the herbalist smiled, drawing a slight blush to the hunter's face, and making Aerith giggle. "Well, you'd best head back to Tifa's, or she'll be worrying about you all night."

"Of course…" Cloud nodded, internally cringing at the thought of getting chewed out by Tifa for his tardiness. Yeah, he'd better hurry back. "I'll see you soon, then."

"You certainly will," Aerith agreed, and then Cloud left her shop, heading back to Seventh Heaven. When he got back, Tifa quickly straightened up from behind the bar, her rust-colored eyes wide. When her mind registered who had just walked in, she sighed in relief, before looking at the blonde sternly.

"You had me worried, Cloud!" she snapped as she stomped over, making the hunter flinch briefly. "I almost thought you were dead, or at _least_ badly injured!"

"Tifa—" he started to say, but she cut him off swiftly.

"Just be glad you're not hurt, or you'd have to deal with me," she huffed, folding her arms over her chest. After a tense minute of this, she lowered her arms. "Please don't go hunting again while you're here, okay? Zack was there this time, but he might not be able to help next time, if there even _is_ a next time."

"…I can't promise anything, Tifa, but I'll try to refrain…" Cloud told her honestly.

"I guess that's the most I can get right now…" she sighed. "Well, go get your ass cleaned up and to bed. Zack typically comes by around nine in the morning to visit, but I have a feeling he might be here earlier now that he knows you."

"…Why?"

"He seems to like a lot you already," she shrugged casually. "And despite his hyperactivity and puppy-like behavior, he's a good guy at heart."

"If you say so…"

"I do. Now go on, get going!" she laughed, pushing him towards the stairs. Cloud rolled his eyes when his back was to her, but he was smiling slightly at her antics all the same. He did as she had instructed, taking a quick shower before drying off and climbing into the guest bed with some boxers and a t-shirt on. As he started to fall asleep, however, he absently rubbed at the bite mark, but fell asleep shortly after.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update, but I've been busy with my new job that I've had since the end of last September, job hunting before that after my previous job fired me (won't get into that), and I've also (admittedly) had a MAJOR lack of inspiration… But I had this finished before now, just was waiting until FFVII Remake release date to post it. After all, I'm not sure when I'll have Chapter 3 ready, so I figured I'd wait. Please enjoy~!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Howling Abomination

Chapter 2

When Cloud woke the next morning, it wasn't exactly pleasant. He felt sore and achy, more than likely from fighting that deranged behemoth from the day prior. Groaning, the blonde cracked open one blue eye, before quickly shutting it again and rolling over so as to avoid being blinded by the sun's light through the window. Seriously, who thought this furniture placement was a wise idea?

"Fucking hell…" he grumbled, before he heard familiar voices from downstairs. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but they sounded like Tifa and Zack. That's when he heard Zack's voice getting closer, and he quickly jumped out of bed, ignoring the slight dizziness from the sudden movement, and locked the bedroom door before the raven could get to him.

"—gonna get him up, Tifa, don't be so mad!" Zack's voice laughed, but when he found the door was locked, he sighed.

' _That's what I thought,_ ' Cloud thought smugly…until he jolted, startled by a sudden banging on the door. ' _What the fu—_ '

"Come on, Cloud! Time to get up and start the day!" the raven's grinning voice shouted through the wood, making the hunter glare at the door. "And don't try to burn me through the door with a glare. It doesn't work."

The blonde snorted at the remark, but before he could get back into bed…

"Cloud! Get your ass down here so you can have some breakfast, or it's gonna go cold and be thrown out!" Tifa yelled from downstairs. Cloud's stomach growled at the mention of breakfast, since he hadn't eaten the night prior, and he sighed heavily before getting dressed in a simple pair of black jeans and a dark red t-shirt. Fortunately, the shirt kept his bite mark hidden from view still.

Once fully dressed, including his black combat boots, the hunter braced himself for Zack's seemingly boundless energy before he unlocked the door and opened it. However, what he didn't expect was for the raven to have been leaning on the door. This resulted in him falling into the guest room with a loud yelp at Cloud's feet.

"…Really?" the blonde questioned, quirking a brow at him.

"Good morning, Cloud!" Zack grinned instead of answering, before sitting up. "You're quick! Totally didn't expect you to open the door that soon."

"…" Cloud snorted softly in response, before stepping around the raven and beginning to head downstairs. That is, until Zack suddenly lunged after him, grabbing his pant leg, and nearly causing the hunter to fall down the stairs. As it was, he stumbled a bit, but quickly caught himself on the railing. "The hell's wrong with you?" Cloud growled, but Zack merely laughed before bolting to his feet and dashing down the stairs first. The blonde blinked with wide eyes, definitely confused by the playful behavior, before he huffed and resumed going downstairs. Once down at the bar area, he saw Zack practically begging like a puppy for some of the breakfast that Tifa had made.

"Pleeeaaase, Tifa?" he pleaded, bouncing in place eagerly. "You always make the best food!"

"Ugh, fine! But you really need to start cooking for yourself, Zack, or at least learn," the brunette groaned. Cloud chuckled softly at the comment, making Tifa look at him. "Don't you start. You know how to cook, that much I remember. Maybe you should make your own breakfast," she hummed in thought, but then shrugged. "Then again, I'd rather not have the bar burnt to the ground."

"Hey!" the hunter protested. "I'm not that bad as long as I know what I'm making!"

"Oooh, Cloud's set fires in the kitchen before?" Zack laughed.

"…Only when I was just beginning to learn…" Cloud grumbled.

"At least he knows what he's doing for the most part, unlike you, Zack," Tifa pointed out, making a pout form on the raven's face.

"Man, you're vicious today!" he whined.

"You haven't even seen me at my worst," was the reply.

"And I don't think I want to."

"Wise move."

The bickering made Cloud chuckle softly with a small smirk, and Zack perked up at the sound.

"Damn, we got him to laugh!" he grinned.

"I only chuckled, shut it."

"Still counts!"

"All right, enough, you two. Sit down before I throw out your food," Tifa said suddenly in a stern voice, and Cloud complied, taking a seat at one of the booths, while Zack sat across from him. She then set their plates in front of them, which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns.

"Thanks, Tifa!" Zack told her, while Cloud mumbled his own thanks before starting to eat.

"So, are you going to finish your tour of Midgar today, Cloud?" Tifa asked as she busied herself with cleaning the bar and the tables.

"Might as well," the hunter shrugged.

"Then I'll resume showing you around!" Zack grinned eagerly. Cloud rolled his eyes a little, but he couldn't help but smirk in slight amusement at the taller man's eagerness. Even though Zack was annoying at first, Tifa had a point: he acted like a puppy a lot. And puppies are usually irresistible. Not saying that Zack is, but Cloud already found himself relaxing a bit more around the raven than he would have with any other new person in his life.

"I see that smirk," Tifa giggled then, making Cloud glare at her. "Oh, don't be such a sourpuss. We'll talk later."

"…Not interested…" he muttered before taking another bite.

"I don't care. We're talking later," she smirked. Cloud rolled his eyes at her insistence, but knew there was no point in arguing with her. Tifa was very persistent at times, and would corner him if needed…which he'd rather avoid.

"Huh?" Zack uttered then, obviously having missed what happened.

"Don't worry about it, Zack," Tifa assured him. "Now eat before it gets cold."

"Right!" the raven nodded, before resuming eating his breakfast. When both men had finished eating their meals, Zack got to his feet with a grin. "Ready for me to show you around the rest of town?" he asked.

"Sure…whatever," Cloud shrugged, feigning disinterest. In all honesty, he was glad to be shown around Midgar, since he'd never been there before yesterday. He hated not knowing things, so he'd rather be in the know.

"I'll see you boys later," Tifa smiled, before seeing them off from the door as they left. Cloud merely nodded to her in acknowledgment, while Zack gave her a grin and wave.

As they walked around Midgar, Zack telling him about this place and that, the blonde couldn't help but feel a small sense of familiarity with the raven. Of course, they had never met until recently, so it was definitely strange for Cloud. Later on, while Zack was wrapping up the tour, though, the hunter suddenly felt a sharp pain from his bite mark shoot through his whole body, drawing a gasp from him.

"Cloud?! Are you okay?" Zack asked worriedly.

"I'm…fine…" the blonde nearly growled out, his hand instinctively moving to massage the mark. When he looked up, though, he saw what almost appeared to be a faint, satisfied gleam flash in Zack's eyes _very_ briefly, before it was gone. Because it was so brief, Cloud dismissed it as nothing.

"You sure…? You look like you're gonna be sick…" the raven said, concern heavy in his voice. "Come on, you can rest at my place since it's closer than Tifa's."

"I said…I'm fi—" Cloud started to snap, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head as they closed, the hunter collapsing against Zack as he passed out.

"Dammit…!" Zack hissed, moving so he could properly support the blonde, before beginning to head off to his house, Cloud resting against his back as the raven carried him. ' _Never done this before, so I only have the stories to go off of…_ ' he thought to himself worriedly. ' _Hopefully I didn't screw up…_ '

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When Cloud's consciousness finally returned, he groaned almost pitifully, quickly gaining Zack's attention. The blonde found himself sniffing the air a bit as Zack's by-now familiar presence approached, confusing the hunter. Why would he sniff the air? He wasn't an animal. Regardless, he caught Zack's scent, which consisted of vanilla and sandalwood, and he found it pleasant.

"Hey, you feeling any better?" Zack asked as he sat on the end of the couch Cloud was resting on.

"…the hell happened…?" Cloud mumbled, confused as to what happened.

"You passed out after I showed you around Midgar. You were grabbing at that bite mark of yours, and then you collapsed," the raven murmured. "Scared the shit out of me…"

"…" Cloud was quiet, trying to remember, before he sighed, as he couldn't recall anything. "…Sorry…"

"'s okay," Zack assured him. "I brought you back to my place since it was closer than Tifa's bar, though. Hope you don't mind resting here for a while."

"…That's fine," the hunter replied softly. As he rested there, he couldn't help but let his gaze linger on Zack, as the raven rested against the back of the couch, his eyes closed. The man was definitely interesting, to say the least. And the blonde had found himself looking at men more than women during his travels, so he couldn't help but admit, albeit hesitantly, that Zack was attractive. The hunter didn't like to get too close to many people, so for Cloud to even consider a potential relationship with Zack was odd for him.

Zack, despite his eyes being closed, could feel Cloud's gaze on him, and smirked inwardly. He'd quickly fallen for Cloud when he first saw him, and wanted to be with him no matter what. Whatever it took to get in the blonde's good graces and break him out of that hard shell of his, he would do it. Besides, he had a good feeling Cloud would feel the same for him within the month. When the raven opened his eyes, however, Cloud's blue gaze wasn't on him, and was instead looking around the room. He knew the cute hunter had looked away right before he opened his own eyes to avoid being caught, and he mentally chuckled to himself.

"Want something to eat? I'm no Tifa, but I can at least cook something up for us," Zack offered.

"…Sure," Cloud nodded softly, a _very_ faint dusting of pink forming on his cheeks at the thought of Zack cooking for them both. For the blonde, it was almost as if they were a couple already, with the taller male making sure Cloud was taken care of.

"All right. I'll be back," the raven smiled, lightly ruffling the blonde spikes once he was standing before heading to the kitchen. Now any other time, Cloud would have punched anyone who touched his head, let alone ruffled his hair. This time, however, he felt almost…disappointed, oddly enough, when Zack's touch was gone.

When the taller male eventually returned, carrying two bowls with him, the warm, delicious aroma of steaming-hot stew wafting from them, Cloud's mouth began to water, but he hid it well by discreetly brushing his hand across his mouth as he sat up properly on the couch.

"Hungry, eh?" the raven teased. Or not.

"Shut it…" the blonde huffed, on the verge of a pout.

"Don't worry about it, Cloud. Figured you'd like some behemoth stew," Zack chuckled.

"…Thanks…" the hunter mumbled, accepting the offered bowl. He gently blew on it to cool it a bit before beginning to eat, pleasantly surprised by the taste. Despite Zack not seeming like much of a cook, he actually made really good stew.

"Good, huh?" the raven smirked.

"…Yeah, despite you not seeming like someone who cooks at all," Cloud snorted, smirking back when Zack's expression turned into a pout.

"I can fend for myself, ya know…" he grumbled.

"I know," the blonde chuckled softly. The sound made the taller male look at the hunter curiously, before he smiled.

"Haven't heard you laugh or anything until now," he smiled, making Cloud blush faintly.

"Shut it…"

"Aww, come on, Cloud! Live a little!" Zack laughed.

"Not interested…" Cloud muttered.

"There's nothing wrong with having fun every now and then," the raven murmured with a small smile, returning to his food. The remark made the blonde roll his eyes a little, but he didn't respond, resuming eating as well. As they ate, though, Cloud felt a strange twinge of the faintest pain (which was more annoying than anything else) from the top of his head.

' _The hell…?_ ' the blonde thought, confused, but ignored it in favor of finishing his stew, as did Zack, and the pair ate in companionable silence.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When they returned to Tifa's bar, the brunette looked up from polishing the glasses to greet them.

"Hey guys! How'd it go? You were out for a while," she said.

"Eh, it was nice. Looked like a storm was rolling in on our way to the outskirts of town, so we headed back so as not to get soaked," Zack shrugged, leaving out the part where Cloud passed out, for which Cloud was thankful. "But I need to head home to my place now, or else I'll _definitely_ get soaked. See you guys in the morning!" And with a two-fingered salute, the raven headed out. Once he was gone, Tifa flipped the bar's sign from "Open" to "Closed", and then turned to Cloud with a smirk.

"You like him, don't you?" she guessed, making the blonde splutter.

"What?!" he snapped, growling quietly in frustration when he felt a faint blush form on his cheeks.

"Cloud, Zack _clearly_ likes you, and it's obvious that it's more than just simple friendship to him," she giggled.

"…Whatever…" the hunter mumbled.

"Just give him a chance, okay? I know you rarely ever let anyone in to know you, but Zack is a really good guy," Tifa said with a smile.

"…Are you sure you're not trying to play matchmaker here?" Cloud snorted after a couple of seconds.

" _No_ , you dummy! I'm trying to make sure you're happy!" his friend protested, before looking at him seriously. "After all, I know we're best friends from the same village, but I don't want to see you unhappy in life."

"…" The blonde was quiet at that, knowing his friend was being honest, and he knew he had to _at least_ give it a shot, for Tifa's sake. "…Fine, I'll try…"

"Thank you, Cloud," the brunette smiled sincerely. "You two will be good for each other, I just know it."

' _I certainly hope she's right…_ ' the hunter thought to himself, before closing his eyes with a small sigh.

"Hungry? I have some dinner just about ready," Tifa offered. "It's a behemoth roast in the slow cooker."

"Sure. Thank you, Tifa," Cloud nodded, nearly flopping into a booth when Tifa left to get his dinner. He really didn't quite feel comfortable with trying to get close to anyone, but he already told Tifa he would, so he had to give Zack a chance, for her. Once his friend returned with his dinner, he gave her a quiet thanks before beginning to eat.

"…How'd you manage to get behemoth meat, anyway?" he asked after a few bites.

"Paid a hunter to get some weeks before you arrived in town," she shrugged. "It keeps when frozen, and thaws out well, too. Not only that, but I got quite a lot, of course."

"Ah," the blonde hummed, thankful she hadn't tried going after it herself. Everyone knew behemoths were deadly, but without a weapon and using just close combat like Tifa does…is impossible. Even _with_ her immense strength.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on hunting those big bastards anytime soon," the brunette assured him, making him nod in relief. "Well, I gotta finish cleaning up then get to bed, but make sure to clean up after you finish eating, then get some shuteye yourself, mister. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Tifa," Cloud told her, and she smiled before heading to the back to finish her nightly cleanup and get to bed. The hunter soon finished his meal in silence, and then went into the kitchen to wash and dry his dishes before putting them away. He then trudged up the stairs to get ready for bed. He felt strangely exhausted, but chalked it up to his mind feeling on overload from Tifa and his earlier conversation, and from passing out earlier in the day.

' _Well, hopefully I don't regret this…_ ' Cloud thought as he pulled the covers over himself, closing his eyes and soon falling asleep.


End file.
